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L.A. City Council President Herb Wesson is expected to be reelected by his colleagues Tuesday.

Eric Garcetti is in his first day as L.A.'s mayor, but at City Hall, there's another man whose power rivals that of the mayor — and on Tuesday Herb Wesson hopes to extend his sway when the City Council votes on whether to give him a second term as council president.

There's no question that when it comes to the council chamber at City Hall, Wesson is in charge. As council president, he is responsible for presiding over meetings, maintaining a quorum and listening to public comments. But, his power goes far beyond parliamentary rules. This is how Wesson addressed Richard Riordan last fall when the former mayor pushed the council about pension reform: "You know what Mr. Mayor — why didn't you fix it when you were mayor?"

And when Riordan tried to respond, Wesson shot back: "No, there's no back and forth. I get the last word. This is our house."

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Outgoing Mayor Antonio Villaraigosa prepares to bowl at Pinz in Studio City. It was one of many stops along the way on his 24-hour "thank you" tour before leaving office.

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Outgoing Mayor Antonio Villaraigosa signs a bowling pin at Pinz bowling alley in Studio City. It was one of many stops along his 24-hour "thank you" tour before leaving office.

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Outgoing Mayor Antonio Villaraigosa makes a stop on his 24-hour "thank you" tour of L.A. at Sepulveda Recreation Center during a Summer Night Lights festival. The event, filled with music, food, and family-friendly activities, is the product of one of the mayor's Gang Reduction Youth Development programs.

Brian Frank/KPCC

Brian Frank/KPCC

LAPD Cadets meet outgoing Mayor Antonio Villaraigosa at Sepulveda Recreation Center during a Summer Night Lights festival. The mayor stopped off during his 24-hour "thank you" tour of L.A. days before leaving office.

By 8:30 p.m. Friday when outgoing Mayor Antonio Villaraigosa's bus pulled up to the Hollywood and Vine Metro station, he had already visited longshoremen at the Port of Los Angeles; attended a police press conference; visited students on a field trip to Olvera Street; made sandwiches for customers at Philippe the Original downtown; ate a hot dog at Pink’s; stopped in Boyle Heights, where he grew up; and officiated the wedding of two of the lead plaintiffs in the Supreme Court case involving California’s ban on gay marriage.

And that is an abbreviated list.

“You know, I’m not even close to being tired, by the way,” said Villaraigosa, who is 60. "No, my kiddies will get tired before me."

It was his last weekday as mayor. On Sunday night, Eric Garcetti officially took office as the new mayor after a ceremonial swearing-in party.

Mae Ryan/KPCC

Mae Ryan/KPCC

Attendees pose for photos at Eric Garcetti's inauguration ceremony on June 30th, 2013.

Update 8:32 p.m.: Standing on the steps of City Hall Sunday, Eric Garcetti pledged to be a back to basics mayor who would revitalize the local economy while remaining a man of the people.

Though he was legally sworn in as mayor Friday in a private ceremony, Garcetti took the oath of office from Kenia Castillo, an eighth grader who met the new mayor a decade ago when he attended an event in support of janitors.

“My great-grandparents never would have dreamed that I’d be standing here today – soon to be the 42nd mayor of the great city of Los Angeles. What’s remarkable about my family’s story is that it’s yours, too,” Garcetti said.

During his inaugural address, some of the loudest cheers came when Garcetti said he would make every general manager reapply for their jobs – something he frequently said during the campaign. The new mayor pledged to make public goals for all of the general managers in an effort to be more transparent.

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Rich Pedroncelli/AP

State Insurance Commissioner Dave Jones is fighting a decision to exclude pediatric dental care from the insurance policies that will be sold through Covered California.

California’s Insurance Commissioner wants the state’s new health care exchange to include dental care for kids as a primary benefit in plans that will be sold to the public next year.

The board of Covered California, the agency that is managing the health care exchange, recently decided to exclude that service from the plans, and offer it in a separate policy. People who purchase their health care insurance plan through Covered California will have to pay extra for a separate dental plan for their children.

Insurance commissioner Dave Jones warns that not including dental coverage as an essential benefit could cost consumers more.

In a June 27th letter to the board that runs Covered California, Jones wrote that he spoke with insurers who submitted bids to sell their products on the state’s exchange next year. Those health plans included dental care for children in the package of benefits, but Covered California told them to strip it out.

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Republican Congressman John Campbell.

Five-term Republican Congressman John Campbell of Irvine says he's stepping down next year.

Campbell came to Congress in 2005 to replace Chris Cox, who left to chair the Securities and Exchange Commission. Campbell is a fiscal conservative from a primarily Republican district in Orange County.

In a statement released late Thursday, Campbell said he never intended "to be a career politician."

He told KRLA talk host Hugh Hewitt that twice a week flights between D.C. and California, along with long hours and constituent events every weekend, are exhausting. Campbell said he advised a West coast freshman lawmaker to try "Red Bull and Tylenol PM." He says it's "a very hard lifestyle when you're west of the Mississippi — when you're three time zones away."

Campbell missed two weeks of votes in early June because of orthopedic issues. His staff says he'll be getting both hip and shoulder surgery in the near future.

About the blog: Represent!

Represent! is your eye on how well government serves citizens and the public interest in Southern California. KPCC's politics and government team posts frequently on transparency, civic engagement, reform efforts and accountability. We invite your comments and suggestions — follow us on Twitter at the links below.